Comment on the use of bronchoscopy in the postoperative management of lung cancer patients.

Abstract

Zhang et al. explore "Effectiveness of bronchoscopy-assisted postoperative respiratory management in patients with lung cancer and impaired cough strength" in a high-risk population. The study is clinically relevant, but its sample size and lack of standardized objective assessments decrease its generalizability and reproducibility. The study discusses different interventions for respiratory clearance. The study discusses various interventions for respiratory clearance. However, the inclusion of noninvasive airway clearance techniques (e.g., physiotherapy or mechanical exsufflation) and bronchoscopy, guided by standard clinical guidelines and protocols, particularly for patients with neuromuscular conditions such as post-polio syndrome, could improve its clinical effectiveness. The study reported that 25% of patients had atelectasis because they did not get effective respiratory rehabilitation, which questions the effectiveness of the intervention on its own. These are gaps and limitations; thus, further studies that use standard guidelines and well-compared approaches are needed to benefitclinical practice.